Baby Mama
by M. Todd
Summary: All I wanted to do was run my hands through his dark curly hair and kiss him and tell him to take me to his secret lair and have his evil way with me. Unfortunately, his secret lair was this family friendly coffee shop and he was giving me looks of ....
1. Chapter 1: Not Quite The Beginning

**I hope you like it. Please review with comments, the good, the bad and the ugly.

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Baby Mama**

Ever since I got _the talk_ – you know, the sex talk? – and found out how babies were made, I knew two things. One, I would love sex (I mean, hello? Who doesn't?). And two, I wanted to be a mother. I had always loved kids. Period.

Of course, the talk happened rather late in life. When I was sixteen, actually. I know it sounds odd but my parents never really paid that much attention to me so telling me about the birds and the bees and the general beauty of baby-making never crossed their minds. Or the precautions. No, it was my sister who told me that if I didn't cut it out with the short skirts a guy was going to come along and ask me to bend over. Or maybe not ask at all.

I was always wondering why guys always wanted to be my friend and my girlfriends always looked at me enviously.

I stopped wearing the skirts. And flaunting my beauty around like it was the latest Gucci purse. As much as I like kids and fancied sex (_a lot_) I had plans. A baby would get in the way of those plans. So I put it off for my career and this in turn put me off to my fiancé Royce. He had proposed when we were both thirty and both working office jobs for the Cullen Corporation. A year later after being together for six years he breaks off the engagement claiming I had too much ambition and we weren't meant to be together if he was my subordinate. Another excuse was it being a professional faux pas. The jealous ass then took off and married our company building's secretary in Vegas.

It was a hard blow at first because I thought I was doing everything right, and I really did love Royce. Stepping back it was my entire fault. Now he has the perfect life with the prefect wife and family and even a dog while I'm married to my job, which I love truly deeply madly, but a job can never _love you back_.

But I do have my looks, I suppose. That brunette Gianna has _nothing_ over me.

Right. Except a family and those blessed labor pains.

I was busy brooding out my office window that overlooked the Center City, the business district of Philadelphia. Originally from Rochester, New York, I found myself as a young twenty two year-old fresh out of college with a joint degree in Business Communications and Advertisement/Marketing and nowhere to go. Absolutely nowhere and no clue. I certainly didn't want to stay in Rochester. Being my father's daughter, I wanted to make my own name and that meant going anywhere that wasn't there. I mean, my father is the CEO and President of Hale Banking, something I happen to want nothing to do with even now. Then I was so against it I made myself sick. So I made my way through a list of possible business to bless with my talent and beauty. Again, I am not trying to sound completely full of myself because looking back I'm just sugar coating it. Yes, I was a rather stunning young girl with ambitions, but I had absolutely no experience except an internship in a local publishing house that I just accepted because the editor was my father's friend.

I didn't want any more favors. I wanted this on my own and owning a pretty face and gorgeous figure was not what I wanted to get me everything. Starting from the bottom I worked my way up in a small business that put together catalogs for institutions and other businesses. Not very glamorous, I know, but I wasn't looking for glamour. I was looking for my own hard earned success. After two years of sitting on my bum researching and working on pre-determined templates I was noticed by another company who I had done some research work for. I was so bored sitting in a cubicle all day that I accepted the job they were offering, for the experience and the better pay. I was transferred to Chicago. They picked me up and put me in charge of one small section of their Marketing group and I was in charge of what they called "Community Connections". In this sector we upped our credibility with the community by getting involved in local events, sponsoring schools through donated technology and new books, and scholarships.

Easy stuff with my pretty face. It seems I could get those superintendents of the schools to do any of our fundraisers if I just smiled.

A few years later when I was twenty seven, I was at a Business Convention in Seattle where I met, Carlisle Cullen. I wasn't looking for a new job at the time but he was so convinced that his offer was one I couldn't refuse that I took the job. Moving again I landed in Philly where the northeastern branch of his company was located. At the time I didn't realize that more pay could mean absolutely nothing. And at first that's exactly what it meant. Nothing. For six months I sat at a desk and did paper work with little to no challenges. That's where Royce and I met. Well, we had met before through my father but I had never given him a second glance. But that was when we were teenagers.

For me, I saw it as fate. I was chasing my dreams and running from my father only to run into this Royce King II who I hadn't talked to in seven years? Hello? Wake up call. As a bonus he had also grown into himself. Quite the catch. And I caught him easily.

But back to my desk job and the six months of just sitting there.

I finally was given the chance to be part of one of the company's big projects. It was a little part of a bigger part but it was still a part and I was still right where I wanted to be.

Soon after it was finished I was promoted and that was just the first of my climbing the corporate ladder and the first of my problems with Royce. Now, at thirty five I have an office the size of an apartment and over three-hundred people working under me in the Creative Marketing Branch of the Cullen Corporation.

There was a knock on my office door.

"Come in, James." I didn't turn from where I was watching the sun set. My room was facing the west and I could just see a tiny sliver of the sun as it finished going down. Quite a luxury in a city full of smog and when you work a ten hour work day and hardly get to go outside except for that "special" research. Just another reason why I loved being Rosalie Hale. I got to watch the sun set and use my creative abilities anyway I wanted.

James was breathing so loud I could hear him from the other side of the room.

"Yes, James? What is it?"

"Um . . . the meeting is starting and Carlisleis frantic . . . looking to make sure you are there. His assistant Felix just called –"

I bolted out of my chair nearly knocking a bunch of building permits off my desk in the process. "Shit! James, damn it! I told you to give me a twenty minute warning once you found out the time! What the hell is wrong with you?"

James took a step back as I lunged for the door, wrenching it open and storming down the hall. He followed frantically after.

Carlisle had a habit of just showing up unannounced and expecting everyone to be at the meetings. We always knew the day, but never the time. One night we were all here until two in the morning because his jet was delayed because of bad turbulence.

"Well, Heidi sent a companywide e-mail that said the meeting was scheduled for seven thirty, but, um . . . she lied. And it wasn't companywide."

I took a calming breath and jabbed the elevator UP button. "Okay, James. I have told you at least a million times _never_ to trust the company mattress when she is sending you, _my assistant_, e-mails. Because she is a backstabbing bitch who wants my job and this promotion."

He nodded and whipped out my black binder as I stepped into the elevator. "You forgot this on your desk."

I took it and pointed to the floor next to me in the elevator. He gave me a panicked look. "In. _NOW_, James. I need you in this meeting. I hired you to work for me not to sit at a desk texting your precious Laurent."

"Victoria, actually." He flashed me a wounded look. "I told you I am not gay."

Riiiight. "Victoria's your sister and Laurent's your potential lover." I said sarcastically. "Don't try and deny it. I see _everything_."

We were in the room and I was in my seat with James sulking behind me a second before Carlisle opened the double wood door that led from the conference room into his office. He relaxed and smiled when he saw I was in attendance.

Here's the deal; you miss a meeting, you lose credibility on a project and that's everything. If it's new, don't even dream on securing one of the prime holds on a lead spot. It just won't happen.

"Good evening, everyone." Carlisle said in his deep sexy voice and sat down at the head of the long table where twenty two of us sat.

See, the thing about Carlisle is that he is hot for an older man. He's one of those guys who just keep getting better with age. With a full head of hair and no wrinkles and a killer body all the women in the office salivated over him. Fortunately he is completely faithful to his wife of twenty years who I _completely_ adore.

Weirdly enough I seem to be the only one on the board not trying to get into his pants and I think that's one of the problems many of the women (and some men, gross) have with me. Carlisle respects me and my work and I respect him. He's kind of like the father I never had. He cares and sees and encourages my potential without awarding me falsely. I earn it through his guidance. And his wife Esme is a good friend of mine.

Hate their son, but love them.

"As I was explaining last Tuesday we have a new project coming up concerning my new endeavor. This chain of super stores will feature family friendly, kid friendly, everyone friendly, health merchandise and products. As you know my wife, Esme Platt-Evenson as she is well known in the fashion world, has come up with a new line of clothing that is environment friendly. Also our very successful chic and tasty health food line and organic products that are now be available in most regular and specialty stores will be featured in these stores, but now it will be exclusively ours."

We were pulling the lines so it only could be sold through us.

My hand shot up in the air and on his go ahead I, well, went ahead. "Just making sure, but are these going to be expensive chic or affordable chic, because that will have a lot of impact on our advertising and the people we are trying to reach."

Carlisle nodded. "Good Rosalie. That was going to be my question to the board. Should we make it affordable to everyone? Should we have two different chains, one for each group of people?"

"If we put them together won't we present ourselves as just another Wal-Mart?" Heidi asked.

Carlisle nodded and then raised an eyebrow in my direction as if to say, "Are you seriously going to let her get away with that?".

I shook my head slowly, digesting her words. I looked at her and pursed my lips in a slightly condescending way, her signature look. "Heidi, it isn't a matter of Wal-Mart's or Target's or even Trader Joe's. We, in this new endeavor, should be presented as both convenience and affordability in a comfortable upscale setting." I looked around the room, now giving them my attention. "We are making new strides and changes that this company has never seen before, for the good and the better. It wouldn't make sense to lapse into a cycle that segregates our customers. This isn't black and white and it isn't rich and poor. We have upscale stores like that already, but this is a franchise that will carry both health and environment friendly merchandise and everyone deserves to have that available to them."

There were murmurs of approval around the room and Heidi, snubbed, looked away. Carlisle winked. Score!

I almost punched the air.

"Furthermore, if I may, Carlisle,"

"Go on, Rosalie, you're on to something here and you know it."

I smiled and looked around at the board. "Furthermore, I also think that although we offer both expensive options and cheap chic, excuse my wording, customers will be comfortable coming into a setting where they can by what they want and not be judged. Using clothes as an example, if you come into a boutique without designer clothes and bag and attitude you are treated differently. This should not be the case here. Our customers should feel that they can buy whatever they want while wearing whatever they want. And I honestly believe that our sales will boost in both range of prices we offer."

"And what do you call that?"

"The Comfort Zone." I offered with a shrug.

"Excellent." Carlisle said with a satisfied smirk. "Alright all in favor of 'The Comfort Zone' say Ay."

"Ay!" That was just about everyone in the room.

Heidi was giving me the death glare. Ha ha, Bitch, ha _ha_.

Carlisle signed a sheet that his secretary had brought in and then rested his elbows on the table steepling his fingers and looking around the room. "Now. On to the real reason for this meeting. As you know this new project will be the best things that have ever happened to this company. Joining the social classes into a place – if I may steal Miss Hale's words – into this Comfort Zone will not be easy, but it will be done. That is why I am electing one of you to run this project as a trial Vice President. If this person succeeds they will get the position over the the tri-state area, meaning all of the marketing branches in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey." he wasn't done. He looked excitedly around the room. "Plus, they will receive a chair in the core board and have head over the whole Philadelphia Cullen Corporation."

Everyone collectively had a coronary. This was huge.

"Rosalie Hale."

Everyone clapped and Carlisle stood, holding out his arm, beckoning me to come to him. I rose and walked up to the head of the table where a chair had been placed to his immediate right and James placed my binder and Evian down, smiling excitedly as I thanked him and he knew both our jobs were secured. I could barely believe it.

And then my bliss was fractured as Carlisle beamed me a thousand-watt, I'm-so-proud-of-you-smile and then leaned down into my ear as the clapping continued.

"You're new baby, Rose." he whispered.

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So I love the idea of using Rosalie as the main character in this story. Why you might ask? Well I will tell you . . . because there is a happy ending! Yeah! But, that doesn't mean I can't screw with them a little along the way.

;)

Tell me what you think,

Thanks,

M. Todd.

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A Sneak Peek At Chapter 2:

Let's be honest, what sixteen year old doesn't know about sex? Well, um, me. Pathetic I know. I was sheltered growing up. An all exclusive all girls school. Practically under house arrest. I knew _nothing _until the school was made co-ed and my sister told me about that skirt thing and how not to

But I'm no longer young. I have a solid career and I want a kid.

Who wouldn't want their own little mini-me? My little Rosalie? Sucks that it's never going to happen.


	2. Chapter 2: Not Quite The End

**Hey, here's chapter two. Review and tell me what you think and I hope you enjoy it.**

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Let's be honest, what sixteen year old doesn't know about sex? Well, um, me. Pathetic I know. I was sheltered growing up. An all exclusive all girls school. Practically under house arrest. I knew _nothing _until the school was made co-ed and my sister told me about that skirt thing and how not to get taken advantage of for being beautiful and naive.

But I'm no longer young. I have a solid career and I want a kid.

Who wouldn't want their own little mini-me? My little Rosalie? Sucks that it's never going to happen.

Or will it? I was flipping through the morning paper and happened upon an ad for a surrogate agency and I was filled with a new hope that tasted so good and fresh.

I wouldn't adopt or do something like this if I wasn't financially fit or completely prepared and ready. I am. I'm all that and more and I have waited long enough for the right man to come along marry me and impregnate me. Prince Charming is dead and my uterus is T-shaped.

That's how I found myself sitting in the bright, white, immaculate sitting room of Mallory & Weber with my knees knocking and my heart racing. I was scared. I was excited. I was terrified that they would reject me and I would never have a child that shared my blood.

Adoption was always a choice, but it was something that just didn't fit.

Isn't that the f-ed up truth?

"Ms. Hale? If you would come with me please, Mallory & Weber will see you now." The secretary led me from the white room to the wide double doors and into an equally white immaculate office. It was huge.

The first woman who greeted me was shorter than me with catty green eyes and chin length cornsilk colored hair. Let me tell you, she was not a bob type girl. The second girl was wearing flats but would have been taller than me if I wasn't in my heels, and she had light brown hair and kind matching eyes. She was sitting behind a large desk while the blonde woman rushed to take my hand.

"Hi, my name is Lauren Mallory and this is my associate Angela Weber. We are Mallory & Weber."

I smiled and took her hand and then took the seat she offered me. Angela came over and also shook my hand before going back to sit at the desk. "We are so happy you called us, Ms. Hale."

"Oh, Rosalie's fine."

She nodded. "Rosalie. Would you like something to drink? Coffee, tea, water?"

"No thank you."

"I see you're excited."

Understatement of the year. I don't know why I did this to myself. I get my hopes up and then nothing happens. The women started a long conversation about simple logistics of their company, some of the history and success cases. There were a lot of successes. That only boosted my mood more.

I decided I didn't really like Lauren. She kept cutting Angela off and sashaying around the room as she spoke. I especially didn't like the way she reacted when I asked about the price, the one big piece of information they hadn't gotten to taking forever to tell me about.

Lauren pursed her red lips and cut her eyes over to Angela. "Only one hundred and fifty . . ."

I stared at her not impressed and certainly not amused. If she was trying to see if I thought that was an outrageous amount of money she was going to be surprised.

Her smile faltered for a second before coming back completely forced; two blondes in the room was never a good thing, especially when I was prettier than she was. "Thousand dollars. A hundred and fifty thousand dollars for your baby, Ms. Hale. The surrogate mothers are specially picked. Thorough background and medical history checks help us weed out the potentials, leaving us with only the best and healthiest women."

"I appreciate that. Immensely." I murmured.

Lauren's smile seemed to grow wider and I was afraid her face might split from all the effort she was putting out to make me feel . . . reassured, I guess?

Now wasn't the time to me the Alpha female. It was the time to be meek and treat these girls like they have my life in their hands. And they have everything in their hands.

Angela pushed away from her desk and came to stand in front of it where she sat on the edge and pulled out a large black binder. She smiled at me. "Rosalie, darling, this process can be very fast or very slow – and I'm not talking about the nine month wait," she laughed. "I'm talking about the interview process and then the process of actually getting pregnant. You case, I feel, is priority for us. When you called last week I gathered a few of our best potential mommies and put together this binder. You will need to go through this, read the bios where we spell out and break down everything for you, and tell us which women you chose for the interviews. Now I have to warn you, you might pick someone and they might reject you. It's just another part of the process and in the end it is her choice whether or not she wants to carry your child."

"I doubt you will have any problems, Ms. Hale. You seem to have your life in order." Lauren added and when I looked at her I was surprised to see she was genuine.

Angela nodded. "Yes." she pushed off the desk and walked across the room and handed me the binder. "We cannot give you this to take home, so if this isn't a good time you can come back tomorrow or sometime later in the week just call and make an appointment with our secretary Tia."

I snatched the binder from her hands and immediately opened it. "Now is fine." Now is _perfect_. I started thumbing through the binder while the women exchanged amused looks above me.

In the end I chose three women who had seemingly positive medical backgrounds and weren't criminals. The first women was Jessica Stanley and from her picture I saw her wild curly hair and excited expression that I just liked. The second woman was a beautiful American Indian named Leah Clearwater who was working helping needy kids around southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. The third and last woman, Isabella Swan, was a South Philly working girl.

If it doesn't work, you pick yourself up and move on and just try again.

I told Mallory and Weber my choices and received nods of a approval and promises of a call by the end of the week.

For the first time in a long time the hunger in my heart felt sated. This was the first unconventional step before I became a mommy.

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"Oh gawd, you are the biggest slut I have ever met, Tanya."

The whore was pregnant by none other than that idiot Garrett who only briefly worked on the Boston project before she sucker "punched" her way into the position. Now he's off working in some law firm in the skyscraper next door.

She sobbed harder.

"I work hard and play harder, hon, but I didn't have to sleep my way to the top! God, you have so much potential I don't get why you waste yourself like this. Why did you even come to me? I don't get it, Tay."

She took two more tissues from the box James held out and dabbed at her eyes and wiped her red nose. It was going to be raw soon.

I think if I hadn't just had that wonderful meeting with Mallory & Weber I would have been ringing her neck. We were only a year apart in age and here she is as ripe as mango. I think all the positive energy I was still feeling was helping me not kill Tanya.

Tanya sniffed. "I don't know. You seem like you would understand and I just don't know what to do. Keep it? Adoption? Abortion?"

Okay, maybe all that positive energy wasn't enough to keep me from getting mad. Abortion? Was she fucking kidding me? I would kill to be her right now, kill to be carrying my own child. And Garrett was good looking – tall with sandy blond hair and warm chocolaty eyes – and hard working, even if a little naïve when it comes to conniving vixens who want his job.

James must have felt the air chill because he was rushing towards me with an Evian that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He gave another to Tanya. I unscrewed the cap and took a huge cool gulp and tried to clear my senses.

"Okay," I breathed softly and opened my eyes to meet her red, bleary ones. "Listen to me and listen to me closely. Abortion is never a good answer, especially when you work such a tiring job. Abortion has been known to cause deep depression and that is the last thing you need. Everything happens for a reason, I believe that with all my heart and I know that this is true in your case. Carlisle would never fire you, if that is what you are worried about. He values family above everything and I think this might really put you in his good graces if he sees you starting your own. Have you told him yet?"

"Who? Carlisle? God, no."

"No. Garrett. The father of your baby." I said slowly. "Have you told him that you are carrying his child?"

Tanya shook her head and slumped back in her chair. "No. HE doesn't know. We haven't talked in a month and I think he is dating someone."

I pursed my lips. "First thing you need to do is tell him. He has to know."

She shook her head furiously. "I'm scared. I can't!"

"You will." I said calmly. "If you need me to go with you I will, but you are going to tell him. Garrett is a good man, he will do the right thing by you."

"But I love him, what if he rejects me and the baby?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes started to well again and I had the shocking urge to take her in my arms and tell her everything would be alright.

But I couldn't.

"I will schedule a meeting tomorrow. Take the day off and get some rest. Go get a massage at the Hilton. Try not to think about it. James with make sure you get home safe. I will take care of everything."

Tanya nodded. "Thank you, Rosalie. You are a good friend."

I nodded and started sipping my Evian again and scribbling instructions down for James; hail a cab, schedule facial and massage, call Garrett's secretary and tell her I need to speak with him in person tomorrow in the morning, and lastly order food to be delivered at Tanya's apartment for tonight so she won't have to cook.

He took the paper, looked at it briefly and then offered her his hand.

It was ten thirty and Tanya hadn't shown up for work yet. James managed a two o'clock meeting which with the way things were working out was something to be thankful for.

"Did you call her home? Cell? Pager?"

James nodded. "All three. Nothing." his voice dropped and he leaned forward in his chair even though we were in the privacy of my office to tell me his secret. "Do you think she offed herself in the middle of the night?"

My mouth actually fell. "James! Don't be ridiculous!"

He leaned back and shrugged. "Just a suggestion."

I tapped my pen on the folder in front of me and stared out the window. "She's chickening out. We'll have to go to her. Clear my next meeting, it isn't important anyway, and let Felix know I have a business to conduct and won't be back until evening. Give him control of your desk and have him forward my calls to your cell. He can do that from his office, right?"

James nodded slowly, but gave me a confused look. "Why wouldn't I just forward them to you?"

"Because you are going with me to Tanya's loft." Idiot. Sometimes he is such a dumb blonde.

Her doorman knew my doorman, don't ask, and he buzzed me access to her apartment. James was fidgeting so nervously with his phone I had to whack the back of his head to make him stop. (Okay, truthfully I didn't have to but it was satisfying.)

"What if she's dead?"

"You watch too much CSI, James."

"But what if she hung herself? Drank window cleaner? Overdosed on Tylenol?" he wail whispered.

We were at her door and I was pounding. "Tanya? It's Rosy, let me in."

I could hear crying from the inside and gave James a smirk. "See? Alive and well . . . sort of, at least she is alive and obviously breathing. Can you break down a door?" I looked him up and down doubtfully.

For the first time James actually glared at me. "God, woman! I don't know what people are telling you but I am not gay!"

I planted my hands on my hips and got right into his face, glad I had chosen my six inch pumps instead of the small kitten heels so we were eye to eye and nose to nose. "Don't take that tone with me, buddy. And the question was not whether or not you were attracted to the male sex but if you could kick down a damn door." I hissed. "So I repeat, can you kick down the damn door?"

"Of course I can."

"Then get to it." I ordered. "We have places to go and a very important meeting to be at and I have a feeling I have to make Tanya look gorgeous in a small amount of time." I was expecting the worst – dark circles, puffy red eyes, red nose, you know, the usual. Plus, I highly doubt she was going to be cooperative.

James banged on the door one last time and called out Tanya's name and then tried the handle. Surprisingly enough it swung open.

"You didn't even lock your door?" I screamed as I stomped into her apartment. Tanya was sprawled on the couch with two Ben & Jerry's ice-cream cartons on the end table and a bunch of other junk food lying around. The gourmet Italian food I had sent over via James was sitting in its containers unopened on the kitchen counter. I was going to kill her.

"How could you not lock your door?" I yelled and hit the "off" button on the television remote. Tanya said nothing. Just continued to stare vacantly at the turned off tube and play with the edge of her silky pajama top. "Get up this instant Tanya Denali or I swear I will go tell Garrett all by myself and tell him what you did to get him fired."

That woke her up.

"You wouldn't dare." she whispered with only a hint of her former self present.

I loomed over her with a catty smile. "I _dare_."

Tanya, looking miserable and puffy eyed, just as I had suspected, slid off the couch and stumbled towards the bathroom.

"Take a thorough shower and I'll raid your closet to find an outfit for you." I said and she gave me a defeated look before pointing in the direction of her bedroom door. "We have an appointment to meet with him at two and I want you to look perfect."

She closed the bathroom door without another look at me or the morbid James (who I half-think was actually hoping Tanya had killed herself just for the excitement and gossip) and I went right to work.

I guess I just love having a purpose and I work really well under any sort of pressure. This was making me feel better, even if it was a weird way to have your spirits lifted.

When we were done Tanya looked like nothing in the world could ever cause her grief. Her strawberry blond hair was left to its natural wave and pulled up modestly at the sides with bobby pins and she was wearing a light, fresh face with just a little mascara and a dab of lip stain. She didn't need anything else. It was that damn pregnancy glow, I swear. In her massive closet I found an adorable mid-thigh length pencil skirt with a ruffle at the bottom and a matching jacket, and both had pink pinstripes running down the black material. Underneath I chose and light pink scoop-neck blouse and she was wearing black patent leather kitten heels with pink leather piping that pulled the whole outfit together.

All together I have to say the image was breathtaking. I really am good at everything I do. Except making babies.

Depressed and wishing I could take a month off from life I smiled at her as James hailed a taxi. "You looked beautiful, Tanya. Just remember that."

She nodded doubtfully and I let her slid into the car first before me and then James to follow. He shut the door and instructed the driver.

"You look beautiful, Tanya." James nodded.

Tanya scowled at him, the first sign that she was regaining her old self. "Oh, hush. You're gay."

James' face twisted and he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "I am not!"

I laughed and patted his knee condescendingly and Tanya laughed and I knew it was going to be okay. Even if Garrett turned out to be a jerk Tanya was going to be okay, and that made me feel less depressed about my own situation even if it would all come rushing back the moment I was alone.

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**Yeah! So if you like that Rosalie's dreams might come true give me a holla and press that adorable little review button! Your love (and even hate) just make me more passionate when writing.**

**Hope you love it and keep reading.**

**Thanks,**

**M. Todd.**

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_Preview to Chapter Three:_

"Vera!" I squealed and hugged my good friend.

"Rosalie, how are you?" she hugged me back as much as humanly possible with her huge stomach and ushered me into her sitting room. We both sat on the little Italian sofa smiling. "No, really, Rosy, how are you?"

It seems my smile wasn't as happy as it should have been. I dropped it completely and felt my eyes burn with tears I had forbidden myself from ever shedding. "Vera, do you ever feel lost? Really, really lost?

"Vera!" I squealed and hugged my good friend.

"Rosalie, how are you?" she hugged me back as much as humanly possible with her huge stomach and ushered me into her sitting room. We both sat on the little Italian sofa smiling. "No, really, Rosy, how are you?"

It seems my smile wasn't as happy as it should have been. I dropped it completely and felt my eyes burn with tears I had forbidden myself from ever shedding. "Vera, do you ever feel lost? Really, really lost . . . . . . . . .

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	3. Chapter 3:Back With A Vengeance, Ache

**Sorry! I've been away on vacation these past few weeks and preparing for school that I haven't had time to update, but I promise to make it up to you. Here is the third chapter to** _Baby Mama**,**_** I hope you enjoy it. And if you do, check out my other story called** _Toy Maintenance_** that I will be bringing out of hiatus soon. Don't forget to review! I love the good and the bad and I appreciate hearing from you guys. It definitely spurs the writer in me.**

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"Vera!" I squealed and hugged my good friend.

"Rosalie, how are you?" she hugged me back as much as humanly possible with her huge stomach and ushered me into her sitting room. We both sat on the little Italian sofa smiling. "No, really, Rosy, how are you?"

It seems my smile wasn't as happy as it should have been. I dropped it completely and felt my eyes burn with tears I had forbidden myself from ever shedding. "Vera, do you ever feel lost? Really, really lost? Like you have no one to turn to for support and no one who loves you?"

A little crease appeared between her eyebrows as she gave me a thoughtful look. "Of course, I think everyone has at some point in their life." she said slowly, measuring her words as to not offend me, I guess. "But . . . Rose, do you really feel that way? Is this really about feeling lost, or is this about Royce?"

I snorted a little beyond my sniffling. "Hell no. I'm over King. Completely. He was a dirt bag who never deserved my even glancing in his direction." I sighed heavily. "Vera, I want to have a baby."

Her eyes widened and she looked down as her hands went to her stomach. "Oh, Rosalie."

"I can't have children, Vera. I hadn't told anyone before this but I've gone to about twenty different doctors, all of which have told me both my age and the current condition of my uterus will prevent me from ever getting pregnant on my own. I will never carry a child."

Vera took my hand and a smiled. "Well, have you thought about Invitro? My sister has done it twice and she has the three year old twins and one on the way. Maybe with your career and lack of man that would be your . . ." she caught the look in my eye and trailed off indefinitely.

I nodded sadly. "I've done it nine times, Vera. _Nine_ times. Nothing. They didn't take. Let's face it, I'm uterus impaired."

"What will you do?"

"Adopt, I really have no idea. I just want to be a mother. Looking at you and how your husband loves you and how you are all aglow with pregnancy just makes me want to fight even harder, and then give up. Lost doesn't even cover it. Knowing what you want but not knowing how to get it sucks, especially when I feel it's right there, just out of my reach. I feel like I will never have anything to devote my time to except this leech job. I love it, but it's sucking the life out of me. Maybe it's another reason I can't get pregnant. All the damn stress."

I didn't want to confess right yet to the surrogate option yet. If that fell through I didn't want to admit to yet another failure. Today was just another depressing day. Dealing with Tanya and watching Garrett propose was enough killjoy for any infertile girl without a boyfriend of her own. I remember his look when we entered his office and how his eyes barely skimmed over me before they only belonged to Tanya. It was clear the love in his eyes, even before he found out she was carrying a precious gift that was part of him. He had no idea the initial reason she had slept with him was to get his job, but on the way up to his office she explained that she genuinely loved him and in the end she never wanted that to happen. I guess he never got over her either. Funny how love works sometimes.

After Vera's I decided to take walk around downtown South Philly. I knew it was a horrendous idea but Carlisle needed me to scout out potential construction site in the area and I was here. Plus, I liked to take walks when I was angry.

The neighborhoods weren't too nice, which we already knew. It was my job, and my dream team's job, to make the community see that the Cullen Corporation was here to make their lives more beautiful and easier with this new store.

Carlisle said he had full confidence that I would get the job done right and on time. And he was right. I would. I was the best at what I did, no matter the position and no matter the project. I put my everything into my job and that's why my career has skyrocketed and that's the way to be respected. Being the new VP didn't mean I would sit back and let other people handle the little details. No. I was the one who would make sure everything thing was perfect. That's why I'm out in South Philly after twilight has fallen and looking around for large commercial buildings to rent/tear down and rebuild.

The street was fairly empty and for that I was both thankful and a little perturbed by. For some reason I have always had a good sense of my surroundings and this place was giving me the heebie jeebies. I whipped out my notepad from my purse and jotted down the street name and the addresses of two buildings and the empty lot in between. It was small but we might have some use for it later.

Carlisle said he wanted big, so I was going to give him big.

"Yo, blondie. Wanna have some fun?"

I gasped in my head.

Thankful I had worn kitten heels I took off like a shot, hugging my purse to my side and praying that I would not trip a fall. As I rounded the corner I crashed into a boulder. Or what felt like a boulder. When I had recovered and was no longer seeing stars in my vision I noticed I was being held up with a strong arm around my back.

I looked up into the prettiest set of blue eyes I had ever seen in my life.

"Are you alright, Miss?" When I failed to answer the blue eyes darted over my head nervously and then out towards the street. "Okay, hold on."

Without warning his other arm caught behind my knees and I was lifted into the air. I must have been in shock because in my mind I thought this was such a logical situation. I didn't occur to me that this man – no matter how pretty his eyes were – could be carrying me back to his evil lair.

His lair turned out to be a darkened shop which he – with only one arm holding me up, mind you – opened up quickly with a set of keys he fished out of his back pocket and then flicked on the lights and locked the door behind him.

I was set down on a comfortable couch with my bag placed gingerly next to me. I couldn't even bother taking in the little coffee shop, I was too busy unabashedly staring at him.

"Would you like some tea? I'm sorry you fell because of me, I always get in the way."

That's understandable. He was like a bear. In the light I could see every outline of his perfect, handsome face. His cerulean eyes were of the crystal kind and every line of his face was perfectly cut. His lips were full and inviting, And he had dimples to die for. Absolutely so delicious that I found myself biting down hard on my lower lip as I thought of ways not to think about it.

He noticed the lip. "Are you in pain?"

I opened my mouth to say something intelligent but found I had no words to say to this perfect man. All I wanted to do was run my hands through his dark curly hair and kiss him and tell him to take me to his secret lair and have his evil way with me.

Unfortunately his secret lair was this family friendly coffee shop and he was giving me looks of concern not looks of wanton passion. Me and my stupid imagination. I go from being chased most likely by some serial rapist who wanted to have "fun" with little blondie here, and now I'm fantasizing about a man who had unknowingly saved me when I literally ran into him. Yes, it seems I have deeper issues than my t-shaped uterus. I am also bipolar and a schizophrenic.

"Well, I am going to make you a cup of tea anyway." He smiled again and I noticed the little laugh lines around his eyes (and the dimples!). "And I bet I can guess what your perfect blend is, I'm the Master Tea man. You wait right here and make yourself comfortable while I put the water on. It should only take five minutes, the machine hasn't been off that long."

I watched him only for a brief moment before the ringing of my phone woke me out of my daze. I reached into my bag completely gone. I was aghast by the way my body was acting. Did he notice my shaking? My trembling hands could barely hit the answer button on my Blackberry.

"Hello?" I croaked uncertainly.

It was Vera. "Rosalie? I just looked outside, why is your car still here? It's been over an hour. Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm fine. I am at . . ." I trialed off and looked around for some sort of name to ease my friend's panic. "Oh, I'm at Last Drop Tea Shop. I'm fine. Yes, I'll call you when I get home. Alright, Vera. Talk to you later, bye."

He held out a dark red mug to me full of something steamy and dark. I slipped my Blackberry back into my bag and took the mug he held out. The sweet fragrance wafted up into my nose and I instantly relaxed. "My name's Rosalie, by the way. Rosalie Hale." I looked up at him from where he was standing over me, almost protectively. "I owe you. If you hadn't been outside and if I hadn't run into you . . ." I trialed off. "Look, some guy was shouting something about having 'fun with blondie' and I'm blonde so naturally I just took off without thinking it through. It's my fault entirely. I'm sorry for inconveniencing you."

A mug of his own in between his hands he pulled up an overstuffed chair and sat down. "It's Emmett McCarty, nice to meet you, Rosalie, and I have to tell you that running was the smartest thing you could have done in the situation. I half a mind to go out there and kick this guy's ass. I didn't want to say anything before because I didn't want to assume anything except that you enjoyed running in heels, but, I figured as much. Women don't go walking around here at night, not the street you were running up from, and they are rarely alone unless they are looking for trouble or are the trouble. My store is just on a convenient corner and isn't classified as being one with the South Philly streets. It's unfortunate that women have to be so careful, but that's just the way it is nowadays."

"Is this a _bad_, bad area?" I asked in a small voice. If it was, I would have to talk to Carlisle. A new store would not make this place safer at night, if anything it might make crime worse.

He shrugged.

"How's business?"

Emmett raked on hand through his thick dark curls and sighed. "Well, I was closing early tonight if that answers your question. I really need to get a new location. Moving isn't a problem, it's finding the perfect place. I just don't have the time. It's a shame, this place has a lot of potential it's just in a sucky part of town."

I took a sip of my tea and nodded. "It's a great idea. People like being in control. Letting them infuse their own tea, make whatever they want, is a great idea. I wish I had thought of it."

Emmett shook his head sadly and sank back in his chair. "The credit isn't mine it belongs to my brother, so I share your regrets. He passed away three years ago from leukemia and had asked me to take over for him."

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Don't. I hate that." Emmett looked into his mug and swallowed, hard. "He's no longer in pain and did everything he wanted. As weird as it sounds tea was his dream. This was his retirement getaway. He loved it. He was born twenty years before I was, a long stretch I know, but he still died young. But he was happy and he had no regrets. That's how I want to go, you know? No regrets."

I nodded, understanding completely how he felt.

"So, I'm going to ask you something, because if I don't, I will regret it immensely." He said seriously and gave me a solemn look, his impossibly blue eyes seeming to deepen. "And it would be just plain stupid not to ask you."

I nodded, almost going into cardiac arrest.

"Why don't I walk you home?"

_Why don't I take you home and keep _you_?_

"I mean, it's not good for a woman to walk home in the dark. Not that I don't think you're capable of walking home by yourself, I would just feel so much better if I knew you were out of the bad part of town and safe."

_I can be very, very bad._

"Or . . ." he waited for me to say something and scratched the back of his head, looking suddenly unsure of himself.

I smiled. "Walk me to my car. It's parked two streets over by the newer Windsor Condos. My girlfriend and her husband live over there and I was visiting earlier."

Emmett smiled, his boyish dimples deepening deliciously. "Alright."

* * *

Hope you liked it! Don't forget to review!

Thanks,

Mary Todd

* * *

**A Pathetic Preview of Chapter Four:**

I have a t-shaped uterus and according to my overpaid doctor that means I have a one in a million chance of getting pregnant. At my age that means I'm screwed.

"Rosalie," Doctor Good-for-Nothing says in an astonished voice, "I think that this is the best road for you. Better than adoption even. How many years have you been coming to me?"

My nostrils flare. "Five." Five wasted years. I could have a kindergartener by now.

* * *


End file.
